Worth More Than A Thousand Words
by brilliantly confused
Summary: The Military Children's Art Show and Auction presents what is left of the JAG staff at headquarters after season 10 with a picture that is worth more than a thousand words.


**AN: Well, I actually wrote this quite a while ago and just found it when going through notes for all the stories I hope to finish this summer. Anyway, just some drabble; not even sure it makes sense, but please read and review. Takes place after the season 10 final. I'm going to say at least a year later; you'll hopefully realize why. Anyway, enjoy!**

* * *

The young teenager with a somewhat unruly mass of light brown hair stood before the black and white photo that had won best in show, ignoring everyone else in the showroom.

* * *

General Gordon Creswell led a large part of his J.A.G. staff and their families into the showroom containing the contributions from Navy children, including the ones from J.A.G. The Military Children's Art Show and Auction had done a lot to raise money for this year's charity. The pictures were hung on the wall with no identification. The General held the map that supplied the name for each piece while his wife held the companion booklet that gave an explanation, if available, for each piece plus family information. 

Leading the group to the J.A.G. section in the Navy's portion of the displays, he surveyed his group. His daughter, Cammie, and Mike Roberts were helping Bud and Harriet with the twins as they attempted to keep their older two, A.J. and Jimmy, in line. Sturgis Turner and his girlfriend, Varesse, were present as were Lt. Mayfield and her husband. Vukovic stood off to the side with his girlfriend of the week. The two lawyers that had replaced Rabb and MacKenzie were out of town on an assignment.

Heading towards the first piece in the J.A.G. collection, he noticed the teenager a few pieces down. She looked familiar, but he couldn't place her. Shaking his head, he tuned back in to what his wife was reading aloud for the group.

* * *

Reaching where the teenager had been standing, General Creswell was surprised to see the girl had moved to get a closer look at the piece that turned out to be a photo. 

"Haven't you been standing here long enough?" Vukovic snidely questioned the girl.

"I don't know," she answered him politely. "I haven't a clue how long I've been standing here."

"And your analysis of the artist's work?" he prodded hoping to make her leave.

"Truthfully, I think you're seeing the child's perception of how the military fits into her parents' home," she explained.

"Why do you say she?" Sturgis questioned.

"Well, just the things used to show the different aspects of the parents, especially the mother," she told Sturgis.

"Makes sense, I guess," Sturgis agreed. "Any other insights?"

"The uniforms are pretty much central in the picture, suggesting that the military, and their day-to-day jobs, are a big aspect of their lives.

The nightgown I believe is white and, from the looks of it, silk. One, their attraction is high, probably a very good intimate relationship. Two, it gives you an idea of the mom's looks. According to my mom, blondes and redheads wear dark and/or bright colors. Almost always, a woman wearing white like that has darker toned skin and dark brown hair." Stopping her running commentary, the girl broke off laughing. Each time she came close to stopping, the girl burst out laughing harder than before.

The third time this happened, everyone began to get impatient. "Is there something we need to know?" Cammie questioned her.

"Oh, I'm sorry," she apologized, wiping tears from her eyes. "Just a comment my mom continually makes to my dad. She tells him that men ought to understand once they are seriously involved, their clothing becomes community property. That's what I get out of the Naval Academy sweats. I adore how they are so haphazardly thrown at the foot of the closet. It makes me think that the wife threw them on when she got up that morning, leaving them there after she dressed for the day so they'd be there for her to slip back into at the end of a long day.

The rose, from it's shading, I'd say is a red rose. And if you don't know by now what a single red rose symbolizes, that's just pathetic. In the photo, I'd venture to guess that he brings his wife flowers often, loving to surprise her as she will be when she finds the rose lying on the sweats when she goes to change at the end of the day.

There's an attachment to planes somewhat. That's a model Steerman sitting on the side table. It's very well made. I'm going to go with the safe assumption that it's the guy since there are wings on his uniform.

The pacifier on the table beside the plane screams baby in the household. Maybe a little girl who looks just like her mom and has her daddy wrapped around her little finger.

Also, the guitar on the other side of the table. It's probably safe to assume one of them plays. The wear and tear of the guitar that's used shows in how it's worn down on the neck, even in little in the body of the guitar. Whichever one of them plays take good care of it and keeps it in good condition.

I'd venture a guess to say the standing mirror behind the guitar is an antique; most likely a family heirloom. So, family is important to them. I would guess that they are close to the original owner, she wouldn't have parted with the mirror otherwise."

Pausing, the girl observed the group as they took in her assessment. Most were studying the photo closely. The one guy who'd been a jerk about how long she'd been standing there wasn't paying any attention and was attempting to distract his date by kissing her neck. As to why the lady would let such scum touch her, much less kiss her, she didn't understand. As she glared at the couple, she felt an arm loop through hers. Turning her head, she saw a girl about her own age with dirty blond hair whom she smiled at. With a slight tug, the new girl led the first one away.

"Hey! Where are you going?!" Varesse exclaimed.

With a shared sigh, the two turned back to the group, but did not move back towards them. "Sorry, we've got to go. We're all meeting Jack and his girlfriend for dinner. I don't think they'd be happy if we left Matts behind," the new girl explained.

"Who's…?"

"Girls!" came the call from down the room, interrupting Tali's question. The girls' heads snapped immediately in the direction the yell had come from.

"Sorry," the two girls replied in tandem before turning and hurrying in the direction of the call.

"Dear," Nora Creswell addressed her husband. "I think you need to see this," she told him. She showed the artist's picture in the booklet to him and the rest of the group.

"It's the girl we were just talking to," Cammie exclaimed. "Who is she?"

"Mathilda Grace Rabb," Nora read from the booklet. "Daughter of Captain Harmon Rabb, Jr., Force Judge Advocate, and Colonel Sarah MacKenzie-Rabb, currently in reserve status. This," she gestured to the black and white photo, "was her contribution to the show. It was auctioned off at $5,400, the highest selling piece in the show."

"What?" Vukovic questioned.

With a smile, Creswell led the group on towards the next piece and ignored the outburst.


End file.
